A Hero's Bizarre Journey
by TheSaintsFollower
Summary: Nothing had broken Izuku Midoriya. Not the insults, the beatings, none of it. But one day, he does break. Some fear for good. But what is broken can be fixed. Watch as Izuku dances his way to a crazy noisy town, full of intrigue and mysteries and...ghosts? "Oh man this is really bizarre!"
1. Chapter 1

**So here I am with the last story I'll start for a good long while. This was thought up off while I was in the process of writing the plans for Chessmaster while listening to a mash-up of the themes of all the JoJos. So, without further ado, let us begin this journey of destiny and heroics. PS: Let me know in the comments if you get the references in the titles of the chapters.**

**Text Key:**

"Hey" - Normal Talk

'_Hey' - Inner thoughts/flashback_

"_Hey" - Person on the other end of a phone/video call._

**Bold - Quirk/Location change/Time Skip**

**{Bold} - Stand Name/Power**

* * *

**Prologue Chapter One - End of the Road**

Izuku Midoriya stared off into the distance of the Musutafu as the No.1 Hero - his Hero - All Might left the scene by walking down the stairs of the rooftop, the hero's last words echoing in the small boy's head.

'_You can never become a hero.'_

Those words had haunted him his entire life. They had been across the lips of every person who heard his dream.

'_You can't be hero! Not without a quirk!'_

'_I'm sorry Izuku!'_

'_Damn Deku! Just give up already!'_

His mind swirled as all the doubt, all the laughter, all the taunts and insults, all the apologies of the past ran rampant through his mind. Izuku clutched his head as the voices merged into one and became louder and louder.

'**YOU CAN'T BECOME A HERO!'**

"AGGGGGHHHHHH!" Izuku screamed out as he fell to his knees, tears pouring down his face. "AGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-

* * *

**(Time Skip: A few hours later)**

A small boy with green hair mechanically walked down the road leading towards his house. He had several scraps and potential bruises, as well as dirt on his uniform, which was torn along the arms and legs. However the most disturbing thing about this child was his eyes. They appeared to be glazed over. They showed no joy, no sorrow, no anger...nothing. His eyes were as empty as the void.

The boy continued walking along the road, ignoring the screaming and the sounds of explosions, which were coming from behind him (they sounded a lot like someone the boy knew, but he couldn't quite place it). The explosions and the screaming soon stopped, however the boy took no notice of that either. He continued on the path in front of him, only stopping when a figure blurred in front of him and large hands were placed on his shoulders.

"HAHAHA! Hello there Young Midoriya! It is I, All Mig-hrk!"

The hulking figure of the No.1 Hero stopped talking as a rush of blood came out of his mouth. In a puff of smoke, the buff man vanished. Taking his place was another man, this one drastically different then the other.

"My apologies about that my boy, I appeared to have gone over my limit. However, that is not what I wanted to talk to you about. You showed true courage today, leaping into the fray to save that young man. Even when other heroes - myself included - did nothing. My boy, that bravery and selflessness is the cornerstone of heroism."

The smile on the figure's face fell as he looked at the ground and let go of the boy to wipe his mouth. "Were you anyone else I would tell you that you have a bright future in heroics ahead of you. However, you are still quirkless...and not even I can change that. I am sorry Young Midoriya, but if you would allow me to, I can give your name to a friend of mine with the police. They could use someone like you-"

All Might meant to continue but for the first time he looked at the boy's face. The head was moving up and down, and the mouth was smiling...but it was someone had taken wrong kind of smile and pasted them onto the boy's face, and the head movements were shaky and robotic.

"My boy? Are you alright?"

All Might received no answer, just more head nodding. Stepping back All Might began to collect his thoughts when the boy began to move again. He walked past the No.1 Hero and continued on his way, the not-smile on his face, his head still nodding.

All Might watched as the boy vanished around the corner. _'That boy...what happened to him?'_

**(Some time later - At the Midoriya Apartment)**

Inko Midoriya was a mess. She had seen the news story about the villin attack and how her son and her friend's son had gotten involved. She knew that they both had been saved - by All Might no less - and was very thankful for that, but she hadn't heard from her son since. She had gotten a call from Mitsuki about her son arriving at home, but he refused to say where Izuku was.

"Izuku…" Inko whimpered as she stared at a photo of herself, her husband, and their child. The photo was taken a week before Izuku's fourth birthday. _'Before everything fell apart.' _

The door at the front of the apartment creaked, letting Inko know that someone had entered the apartment. Scrambling to her feet, Inko ran towards the hallway, catching her son as he was taking off his shoes.

"IZUKU!"

With a wail, Inko threw herself onto her son, holding him close as she cried onto his shoulder. "Izuku! Oh my god, I can't believe you are ok! Don't you ever worry me like that again! Please Izuku, I can't take it!"

Not hearing any response - or for that matter not feeling her son's hands wrapping around her - Inko pulled back to look him in the eyes. And what she saw confused her. His eyes were still green, but...to her it looked like she was staring at the green from a crayon or marker. This...this creature wearing her son's skin wasn't her vibrant boy. Releasing him and stepping back, Inko stuttered out the only thing she could say.

"I-Izuku. What happened?"

The boy chose not to respond, instead moving past his mother and going into his room. Inko followed and saw that he had simply sat down on the bed and was staring off into space. Hesitantly, Inko waved her hand in front of her son's eyes, before snapping her fingers.

No response. Hardly a blink.

"Izuku…"

* * *

**(Time Skip: 3 weeks later)**

Hisashi Midoriya loved his family. He had an amazing wife and a son who, despite being quirkless, he was very proud of. He knew that Izuku could do amazing things. He was a smart kid, top two in his class and had a knack for understanding the Quirks of another after a few minutes of study, a feat few could do.

But after hearing phone call after heartbreaking phone call from his wife and no emails, calls or facetimes from his son Hisashi began to panic. He had heard from Inko that Izuku had been attacked by a villain and had immediately jumped at that being the cause of Izuku's odd behaviour. Maybe a side effect of the villain's Quirk. But after the mother and son had been to a doctor and a psychologist that theory had been proven wrong.

The doctor had confirmed that the villain had done little physical damage to Izuku and that the villain's Quirk - **Sludge Body** \- had no way of harming Izuku's mental state. The psychologist on the other hand -

'_I'm sorry to say that your son has essentially shut down. The problem is not with his body, but with his psyche. Something has happened to him that's, for lack of a better word, broken him. He'll go through life like he did before - eating, going to school, etc. - but aside from that I wouldn't expect any big changes in his current behaviour for a while. Maybe even a year or two.'_

That news had damn near broke Hisashi. But he endured. He knew his son. His son was strong, he was brave, and he was going to be ok. _'Izuku will be fine.' _This thought played over and over again in his head. It kept him going, kept him believing that his son would be ok. Until one day, that thought didn't work.

He had received the call at work in a meeting with his boss and the man's grandson. He had excused himself to take it without looking at the caller ID.

"Hello."

The broken, sobbing voice of his wife came through the other end.

"_Hisashi...Izuku...Izu…"_

Inko couldn't even finish what she was going to say, the tears and sobs coming to quick and emotions overwhelming her. He heard another voice and the sobbing seemed to die down a bit. Keeping the phone to his ear Hisashi listened to what the new voice - a man's- said.

"_Mr. Midoriya. This is Doctor T.T. Chopper from Mustafu General Hospital. Sir, I'm afraid we have some bad news about your son Izuku. It appears that your son had tried to jump from the roof of his school. He was stopped, but proceeded to take a knife and cut his wrists. We stabilized him sir, so his life is in no immediate danger, but we have had to restrain him and kept a close eye on him. Sir...Mr. Midoriya are you still there?"_

Hisashi was not holding the phone anymore. He had dropped after he heard about Izuku cutting himself and had slumped against the wall. Tears were falling fast from his face, choked sobs erupting from his mouth. Holding his head in his hands, Hisashi cried.

Hisashi's boss, wondering what the sound was, had sent his grandson to investigate. The man had opened the door, saw Hisashi crying and the phone with the doctor's voice coming out. Bending the man had picked up the phone and had quite a discussion with the doctor. Promising to make Hisashi call back, he hung up.

Hisashi spent the rest of the day being comforted by the man and his boss, who gave him paid leave as well as paying for Hisashi's ticket back to Japan.

'_I have to see Izuku.'_ Hisashi thought as he looked a picture of him, his wife, and their son. The same one Inko had in the apartment.

'_I have to save my family.'_

* * *

**(Two days later - Musutafu, Japan)**

Hisashi quickly made his way to his family's apartment. He had gotten a call from Doctor Chopper that his wife and son had been released, and one from Inko that she was watching Izuku with the help of Mitsuki. For that, Hisashi was glad. His blood-sister was a god send to his wife and he hoped that Izuku was still getting along with Katsuki.

Jumping out of the cab while throwing some yen at the man - while ignoring the scream that he had paid too much - Hisashi bounded up the steps two at a time, stumbling and tripping the whole way up. Finally arriving at Number 21B, Hisashi pounded on the door all the while yelling.

"INKO! IT'S ME! INKO!"

Hisashi stopped mid-pound when the door opened and a tired and red-eyed Mitsuki Bakugou opened the door. She looked exactly as he remembered, sharp blonde hair and red eyes that seemed to penetrate to the very soul of a person. Wrapping him up in a hug, Mitsuki clutched onto him tightly.

"Hisashi. Thank God you're back. Come on, you need to see the two."

Mitsuki released him and led him into his house towards Izuku's bedroom. Turning back just before the closed door, Mitsuki put her hands on Hisashi's shoulders.

"Sashi...just be careful with them. And yourself."

"I will Suki. Thank you."

The Bakugou Matriarch smiled and left down the hall. Hisashi turned back to the door leading to his only son's room. _'My only son...who tried to kill himself.'_ Gripping the door handle tightly and reigning in his breathing, Hisashi turned the doorknob and pushed the door open.

His son's room was almost exactly like he remembered it. Covered wall to wall with All Might paraphernalia and merchandise. That made Hisashi smile a bit, seeing that his son never grew out of his All Might hero worship.

The smile was wiped off his face when he heard a small sniffle. Turning his head to his son's bed, he froze. There was his beloved wife Inko. He knew that Inko stressed about their son, and that she ate as a result of that stress, gaining a bit of weight. He didn't care about that. But when she turned to face him...her face was gaunt and weak looking, like she wasn't eating properly. _'Inko…'_ Hisashi thought sadly before looking at his son beyond her.

If Inko's appearance made him sad, Izuku's broke his heart into pieces. His son, his precious little rabbit looked like death had visited. His face was ashen, his mouth fixed in a weird smile that didn't reach his eyes and conveade no joy. His eyes though...Hisashi remembered Izuku having bright, vibrant eyes, filled with life and love, eyes that anyone could look into and feel safe. Now...Hisashi felt nothing as he watched his son stare at the ceiling, saying nothing and reacting to nothing.

The worst thing about his son's current appearance was the ugly slashes on his wrists. They had scabbed over by now, but Hisashi knew that his son would have scars from those for the rest of his life.

He didn't need to ask anything, he merely moved to embrace his wife and place a hand on his son's arm. All the while tears dripped from his eyes.

'_My son...my wife...my family...I'm sorry.'_

* * *

**(A few hours later)**

Hisashi had left Izuku's room, promising to bring back some tea and katsudon for his wife. Heading down to the kitchen, Hisashi was greeted by both Mitsuki and her husband Masaru. Quickling shaking Masaru's hand and pulling him into a one armed hug, Hisashi moved to sit down. Mitsuki placed a cup of tea in front of him which Hisashi thanked her for and took a drink from. For several minutes nobody spoke, the only sound in the air being the distant cries of Inko. Finally Hisashi spoke.

"Do you two know what happened to my son?"

Mitsuki shook her head. "We don't. All we know is what Inko knows: Izuku went to school one day, completely normal, he and Katsuki got attacked by a villain, then he shows up here, acting like...like…

"Like he's not really living." Masaru finished for his wife while taking her hand. "We don't know anything. We've tried talking to Katsuki, but he clams up at the subject."

Hisashi nodded. "I heard it was Katsuki who stopped Izuku from jumping off the roof and who tried to stop the bleeding and had someone call the ambulance and Inko."

"Yes." Mitsuki nodded as fresh tears came to her eyes. "But...Hisashi there's a lot you missed. A lot Inko and Izuku didn't talk to you about."

Hisashi looked from Mitsuki to Masaru and back to his blood-sister. Both of them looked nervous. No, nervous wasn't the word...more scared and apologetic. Gesturing with his hand, Hisashi tried to ignore the cold feeling in his stomach.

"It happened about a week after you left for America." Masaru said. "Katsuki had just come home from playing with Izuku and some others. He had a small bump on his head that we iced, but aside from that, there was nothing wrong with him. We asked how he got the bruise and he grumbled something about a bridge." Taking a breath Masaru continued.

"We asked if Izuku was ok and...what Katsuki said shocked us. 'Who cares about that quirkless Deku!'. We immediately called Inko, who said that Izuku was fine. It was after that we noticed that Izuku began to come around less and less. After a year, we hardly saw him at all, only sparingly, and he was never with Katsuki."

Hisashi let out a breath. _'Poor Izuku. Katsuki inherited his mother's temper alright.'_ "I guess that Katsuki said something to Izuku about his quirklessness and the two had a falling out. Still, I'll need to thank him for saving Izuku's life."

"Ok. And who knows, maybe he'll open up to his favorite uncle."

"I'm his only uncle Mitsuki." Hisashi said a small smile on his face.

"Good, cause I doubt you could handle any competition."

The three laughed quietly. After a few more minutes of small talk, the Bakugous stood. "We need to go check on Katsuki. It's good to see you again brother." Mitsuki said with a smile while hugging him.

"You too Mitsuki. And thank you both for...for everything you've done for Inko and Izuku."

Masaru smiled as he hugged his friend. "You would have done the same if our situations were reversed." The two left, leaving Hisashi alone.

* * *

**(Two Days Later)**

Hisashi sat with Inko and Izuku, all the while pondering over the series of unfortunate events that had befallen his family. His son was slowly but surely recovering. They had allowed Izuku to leave his room and walk around the house, but only with one of them being with him. He was catching up on school work through online classes, which would allow him to graduate without having to return to his school. Some life had even returned to Izuku's eyes, though it was prone to going out quickly.

There were other downsides. Izuku would often clutch his head as though it was in pain, with his hands covering his eyes and his eyes would water. However he always caught himself before anything drastic happened. The other major downside was Izuku's voluntary silence. He was perfectly capable of talking, but chose not to, not even towards his own parents. Instead Izuku began to carry one of his notebooks and wrote out what he wanted to say in that.

Hisashi knew that the process to help Izuku would be slow, especially here in the city. This city was a hive of people who could prove to be toxic to his son, who could hurt him - or worse. He knew that to truly help Izuku move on faster his son would need a change of scenery.

Which brings us to the present.

"I don't know Hisashi." Inko said as she held her son, who was looking between his mother and father, but not really paying attention. "I know they are your family, but I've never even met them. And remember what happened when we told my relatives that Izuku was quirkless. They shunned us, refused to have anything to do with us!"

"I know Inko. But you can meet them. I know my uncle has a computer - if nothing else he would need one for work - and my cousin has a son Izuku's age so we can VideoChat. From what Tomoko has told me her son is very confident and sure of himself, but also a kind and caring young man. And I know Tomoko and Uncle Ryohei would be nothing but supportive. And they live in a town where nearly everyone is quirkless. I know that Uncle Ryohei and Tomoko don't have quirks, and Tomoko said her son doesn't either."

Inko thought about it. She was reluctant to let her baby out of her sight - out of arm's reach really - and was also worried about being a burden on Hisashi's relatives. "I...I want to meet them first Hisashi. At least to get to know them."

"Perfect." Hisashi said with a smile, running his hand through his silver dark hair. "I'll shoot them an email."

* * *

**(Two Days Later)**

The talk between the adults had gone well, with Hisashi introducing Inko to his uncle and cousin, as well as catching up with recent events. Ryohei and Tomoko agreed immediately to get Izuku and Tomoko's son to talk over VideoChat.

That time was now.

Hisashi had pulled the family's computer into the living room and had set Izuku up in front of it. He pulled up the number for Ryohei's computer and waited while it rang.

"Izuku, honey, the people you'll meet tonight are your father's family. Is that ok with you?"

The boy nodded in response, while tensing, unaware of how his father's family will take him, remembering how his Mom's father talked about him.

'_That boy is worthless Inko. You'd be better off leaving him somewhere and trying again.'_

The boy with green hair began to tear up, but wiped them away quickly. He didn't want to look so weak in front of his father's family. _'I guess they are also my family too.'_

"We're through." Hisashi said with a smile as the screen expanded and three faces appeared. One was of an older man who wore a police uniform, the second of us a younger woman who appeared to be in her early thirties, and the last was of a young man with a large pompadour. "Uncle Ryohei, Tomoko, this." Hisashi said while gesturing to Izuku. "Is Izuku. Izuku, this is my uncle Ryohei Higashikta and his daughter Tomoko."

The boy with green hair waved shyly at the screen, which caused the now identified Ryohei and Tomoko to smile. "Nice to meet you Izuku." Ryohei said, warmth in his voice. Ryohei gestured to the young man. "This is my grandson Josuke. Say hello Josuke."

"Geez gramps, I know how to introduce myself." The now identified Josuke said. "Yo, I'm Josuke Higashikta. Nice to meet yah Izuku!"

The green haired boy nodded, before writing on his pad and holding it up to the screen. _Hello Great Uncle, Cousin, and...Cousin._

Ryohei waved his hand at that. "Bah, you can call us by our names Izuku! We're family after all. In fact, call me grandpa!"

The green haired boy nodded. Before beginning to write down another question. _Thank you grandpa. If I may ask, what are your quirks?_

This time it was Tomoko who responded. "What, Hisashi didn't tell you? Everyone here in town is quirkless, us included."

The green haired boy's eyes widened at that and he began to scribble on his notebook. _How do you live? _

That one question caused the 4 adults to freeze. They knew about Izuku's situation - Hisashi and Inko having told Ryohei and Tomoko - and they knew what he was looking for in that question. The boy had dedicated his life to one thing - being a hero who could help others, make them feel safe. Someone who could risk it all with a smile on his face. But that dream had been crushed and buried. Now the boy with green hair was looking for a purpose...a purpose that would allow him to be Izuku Midoriya again.

Surprisingly, it was Josuke who spoke up first. "Hey mom, gramps, could you give us a minute. You too uncle."

The adults complied, leaving the boys alone. Sky blue eyes stared into forest green for what seemed like an eternity before Josuke sighed.

"I was listening in when Uncle Hisashi told Mom and Gramps about what happened to you in the past few weeks. I...there's nothing I can say to make it better or to make you feel better. All of that has to come from you Izuku. But...to answer your question we live like anyone else. But that's not what you're getting at. I get that. So here's my answer - you can't let yourself get knocked down. You have to stand against all the crap people through against you, all the shit the world with through at you. You have a purpose, a goal that defines you! You need to charge for that goal with all your might and never give up!"

The boy with green hair raised a trembling hand to write before he stopped and shook his head. "But...but Josuke." The voice was raspy and the look on the boy's face told Josuke that he found it painful to talk, like it had been a while since he had last spoken. "I...I can't! I can't be a hero! I can't save anyone. Not without a quirk."

Josuke looked at the boy's tear stained face and saw something awful. He saw the loss of faith in oneself and the loss of purpose. But most of all, in the boy's eyes Josuke saw himself. He remembered how he looked when he was younger and the fever had nearly overtaken him. He didn't have any faith in himself to fight it off nor any faith that a miracle would happen, but one did. His hero had shown up.

Wait…

"Izuku I'm going to tell you a story ok. It's the story of a hero. One who saved someone. And this hero...he didn't have a quirk. He had raw determination, guts, spirit, and the drive to never give. Not even when he was freezing to death."

The boy with green - no, Izuku Midoriya wiped the tears away and looked at his cousin. Josuke Higashkita was now smiling, even though he had his own tears in his eyes. "And let me tell you something Izuku…

This hero was pretty great!"

* * *

**Cut! That's a wrap for the first prologue chapter. I hope everyone was happy and enjoyed this. The prologue is looking to be about 6 chapters long. If anyone is confused or simply has questions, ask a question in the comments and I'll answer it. **

**TheSaintsFollower, signing out. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Coming at y'all with another weekly update. I hope y'all enjoy this, and most of the comments I've gotten have been positive. To those who didn't like it, I'm sorry you didn't but hopefully you'll stick with me through this and come to enjoy it. **

**With that aside, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy. **

**Prologue Chapter 2: Hot N Cold**

* * *

'_Two months…'_

Izuku Midoriya wiped the sweat from his brow as he sat down on the sand of Dagobah Beach, his whole body shaking from the effort of hauling trash to and from the small wagon he had. After filling the wagon, he would hitch it to his bike and ride off to the nearest garbage site, where he dropped the load off.

Izuku had been doing this for the past two months, starting a couple of weeks after he and Josuke began to talk. Izuku smiled at the thought of his cousin. 'More like my brother.' He thought happily at all the help Josuke, not to mention Aunty Tomoko and Gramps, had been.

Glancing behind, Izuku looked at the steadily decreasing trash pile that littered the beach front. The pile, while still comparable to a small house, was losing mass day by day, and Izuku could tell that he was growing stronger, the constant lifting working all parts of his body, while the cardio of biking up to 16 kilometers a day was improving his cardio.

And that was just the physical benefits. Almost every day, people would be walking through the nearby park and see Izuku cleaning the trash. They would smile and thank him, calling him a hero for the community, and asking if they could bring him food, water, or a sports drink. Izuku would always stutter away that he didn't need anything, and that he wasn't really a hero. But it still felt good.

'_I'll have to thank Josuke for recommending this.'_ Izuku mused as he thought back to his conversation with Josuke.

* * *

**(2 months ago)**

_Hisashi, Inko, and Izuku once again sat in front of the computer, with Ryuhei, Tomoko, and Josuke smiling at them from their end. It had been a week since the families first met up, and the results had more than been proven. Izuku was smiling again - at least when he was with his parents or talking with the Hisgaskitas - and for the most part he had stopped using his notebook to write out what he wanted to say. He was still stuttering when he spoke, and occasionally would dissociate when faced with something that triggered a flashback, but the progress was noticeable. _

_The 6 began to talk about what had been happening since they last spoke, with Josuke going into depth about how he was getting ready to enter high school - which Izuku responded in kind - Ryohei discussing how he had to ward off suitors to his daughter, and Tomoko hitting both her father and son when she discovered that they ate the rest of her snacks. _

_Eventually the adults left Izuku and Josuke alone to talk. After seeing the progress that Josuke had after their first talk, the 4 adults decided to leave the two teens alone, so that they could talk about their respective selves, and help each other - Izuku needing the majority of help. _

"_Hey Izu, have you ever thought about working out?"_

_Izuku started when he heard that before regaining his bearings. "Not really Josuke. Most of the gyms around here are for those who have quirks, and do not allow the quirkless to work out there." He said, his eyes downcast. _

_Josuke gritted his teeth at hearing that. 'Assholes!' Ignoring his urges to punch something Josuke continued speaking. "That sucks, but what about doing a workout on your own. You can do the basic like push-ups, sit-ups, running, stretching and all that in your house or around your neighborhood."_

_Izuku nodded, a little downcast. "I guess...but what's the point. I've always been like this…" He said as he gestured to his sticklike limbs and body._

_Josuke rolled his eyes while smirking. "I get that, and it won't be easy. But you can change how you look through hard work and determination! You just gotta believe in your own power!"_

_(Several kilometers away, a blonde-haired young man with a cartoonish face sneezed before looking out into the horizon. "POWER!" He shouted while raising his hands to the sky.)_

"_But what am I gonna do with a muscled body Josuke...I can't...I..I" _

_Seeing that his cousin was beginning to tear up, Josuke thought quick and waved his hands. "Izu hey! C'mon man, you need to man up! By having a strong body you'll be able to show just how cool you really are. I mean, it's not cool or manly to look like a skeleton. Besides," At this Josuke grinned as he remembered reading about this at school. "If you work out regularly, you'll be able to release some pent-up emotions and stress. Not only will this help you physically, but mentally and emotionally! And that'll go a long way in the future."_

'_What future' Izuku thought bitterly, before thinking more about Josuke's proposal. "I mean...it has merit, but I'd need to do more than the exercises that you said."_

"_Yea, you'd probably need to start lifting stuff. I'm sure you can find a way."_

_The two had their heads down, deep in thought about how they could improvise weightlifting, before Izuku's head shot up and he smiled. "I got it! There's a beach nearby which is covered in trash. I can go and clean it up!"_

"_Hey that's a great idea Izu!" Josuke said, a smile splitting his face. "Moving all that trash will work most of the muscles in your body. I'd say in about 5 months you'd look impressive!"_

"_Yeah!" Izuku cheered before calming down and looking at Josuke who cocked any eyebrow. _

"_Whats up Izu?"_

"_When did you start calling me Izu?"_

_Josuke shrugged before smiling. "Just felt right."_

_Izuku gave a nervous smile and thought 'Better than Deku.' before focusing back on Josuke, or more specifically Josuke's name as it appeared on the screen. _

"_Huh."_

"_What's up?"_

"_Well...when you look at how your name is rendered, it looks like...JoJo."_

"_...I mean...yeah. So."_

"_Well if you're gonna call me Izu, then I'll call you JoJo!"_

"_Thanks, I hate it."_

"_No problem...JoJo!"_

_Josuke tried to stay annoyed but seeing his cousin smile and let out small laughs got to him. 'Izuku...you really are an amazing person. To think, last week you were a crying wreak.'_

"_Ahh JoJo, have you read the new Pink Dark Boy manga that was released?"_

"_Nope. Haven't really gotten around to it. Plus, I think I might stop reading."_

"_Why?"_

"_I don't know what, but I just get the feeling that the mangaka is a real dickhead."_

_(In a large house in Morioh, a young man in stylized green clothing was busy writing his new chapter when he felt a wave of irritation flow through him. Ignoring it, the young man returned to his writing. So absorbed was he that he didn't notice the sound of a bowstring being pulled back right behind him.)_

* * *

**(Flashback over. Return to the present)**

Izuku shook his head as he stood and stretched a little. Finishing, he turned around to continue cleaning, only to see someone else was there as well. A young man, about his age, dressed in slacks and a long sleeve shirt. However, the most striking thing about the boy was his hair and his face. His hair was duel colored and split down the middle, one half red and one-half white. His face was perfectly normal, though Izuku knew that the boy's face was what girls his age would consider handsome, with the sole exception being a nasty looking burn scar over his left eye.

The boy was looking between Izuku and the trash before he noticed Izuku staring at him, curiosity alight in his eyes. The two locked eyes, Izuku's full of warmth - if not some suspicion - and the duel colored boy's cold and caged, hiding all signs of emotion. After what seemed like minutes Izuku walked over to the other boy, steeling his nerves to talk to the young man.

Holding out his hand, Izuku spoke first. "He-hello. Is there something I can help you with?"

The boy looked at Izuku and his outstretched hand, as though contemplating the idea of shaking someone's hand, before extending his right to meet Izuku's in a firm handshake. Izuku noticed the coldness of the boy's hand, as well as the calluses that decorated it.

"My apologies for bothering you. I've just noticed that you come here every day to clean the trash from this beach for the past few weeks and was curious as to why you are doing this?"

"Well…" Izuku said as he thought about how best to phrase his answer. "I...my cousin gave me the idea to do this instead of lifting weights as a way to get in shape. It's also just a great way to help the area! Like a -" Midoriya cut himself off before he could finish, his brain catching up with his mouth, as he looked down.

"Like a hero. That's what you were going to say." More of a statement from the other boy then a question, which Midoriya answered with a small nod. "Do you...not like heroes?"

"N-no. I love them...All my life I wanted to be one...but a while ago I realized it...wouldn't work out."

"Why?"

"...I don't want to talk about it."

The other boy nodded, dropping the subject. The two stood in awkward silence before Izuku spoke up. "...Do you want to be a hero?"

The boy tensed before letting out a breath and nodded. "I do...But it's more my purpose than anything else."

"Your purpose?"

The boy nodded. "I have two quirks. With my right I can generate Ice and with my right I can generate Fire. Half-Hot and Half-Cold is the technical name."

Izuku's eyes snapped wide open as he started to ramble on. "That's amazing! With a quirk like that you could save hundreds of people and defeat all kinds of villains! They must be really impressive!"

The boy stayed silent while Izuku rambled, only interrupting when the green haired boy stopped to breath. "Yes, it is impressive. But...I'm only going to become a Hero with my right."

Izuku stopped and stared at the boy in complete shock. "...Why?" He asked in a terse voice as he slowly approached the other boy who didn't notice.

"Its personal. But I will never use my left side...his power." The boy's eyes widened when he realized that Midoriya was right in front of him, glaring at him.

"You imbecile!" Midoriya yelled, his temper flaring up, catching the other boy by surprise. "I may not know why you won't use your fire, but damn it that doesn't matter! You have an amazing and beautiful power that's all yours and you're holding yourself back! How much of an idiot can you be!"

The other boy, having recovered, glared right back at Izuku, his right side releasing a small amount of frosty mist. "You have no idea about my life or why I won't use my left! What's it to you?"

"It's not about me! Think about it! What if you come across a villain your ice can't beat! A villain who is threatening civilians and other heroes, who could kill dozens! What if you come across the All Might of villains! You really think your ice can stop someone like that!"

The boy stopped, frozen as if by his own Quirk. _'...I don't have an answer...I know that it's possible...but...I can't...it's not…'_

As the boy was having his mental debate Izuku released what he said and calmed himself with several deep breaths before speaking up again. "I'm sorry for that. It's just...I wanted to be a hero so, so badly...when I hear about someone who has the power...the Quirk that allows them to be a great hero...and they don't give it their all...it reminds me of everything I don't have."

"I thought you said this wasn't about you?"

Izuku's face flushed as he looked away. "I mean...it is, and it isn't...I'm sorry…the topic of heroes is… a bit of an issue for me."

The boy looked closely at Izuku and nodded. "I understand. It is for me as well."

The two stood in silence before the other boy held out his hand. "Shoto Todoroki."

Izuku looked at the boy and his hand before taking it. "Izuku Midoriya."

The two shook before going back to silence. Shoto looked at Izuku, examining his fellow teenager before opening his mouth. "Midoriya...what did you mean earlier, when you said it was my power?"

Izuku thought back and smiled. "Well, it's your Quirk, right? Nobody has control over it but you. At the end of the day it's your power and your choice to do with it what you will. I may not know why you don't want to use it, but still...that doesn't change the fact that it's your power."

Shoto stared at Izuku, his eyes widening with every word the young man said. _'My power huh…'_.

Izuku, having noticed that he had gone off on a tangent stopped himself and looked back at Shoto, who was deep in thought. Biting his lip, Izuku looked at his phone and saw that it was getting late. "I need to go Todoroki...Good luck with becoming a Hero."

Shoto shook himself out of his stupor before nodding. Turning, he began to turn away before stopping and turning back, pulling out his phone. "Midoriya...can I have your number?"

"Uhhh sure...but why? I mean we just met."

"I know...but you've helped me to think about some things. And... I wouldn't mind talking to you again."

Izuku stared at him, looking like the world had stopped. Shoto went up and snapped his fingers in front of him, causing Izuku to blink and blush when he realized he had frozen. "Uhh so-sorry Todoroki! And... uh here you go!"

The two exchanged numbers, and once everything was confirmed, Shoto turned and left. Izuku watched as he vanished over the horizon, before his phone buzzed.

Mom: Izuku where are you? Come home, dinner is ready!

"Ow crap!" Izuku exclaimed as he grabbed his bike and began to rapidly peddle home. It wasn't until much later, as he lay in his room staring at the now bare walls that he realized something.

"I... I made a friend."

* * *

**Cut! Hah, I did it. This is another chapter done, and one more Prologue chapter done. 2 down, 4 left, then it's off to Morioh! I know Izuku is OOC, but I'd like to think that talking to someone like Josuke will do that to a guy. I mean, look at Koichi. Next chapter will introduce another character and give rise to the B-Plot of the Prologue. If anyone has questions, put em in the comments, and I'll address them in the next chapter. Till then, peace!**

**UPDATE: MARCH 3,2020: I NEED A HELPER! SOMEONE WHO CAN EITHER BETA OR WORK WITH ME TO WRITE! PLEASE HELP! MESSAGE IF INTERESTED!**

**TheSaintsFollower, signing off. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow, it has been awhile. But I'm back with this fic, and I'm not quitting. So I hope you enjoy the next chapter. Big thanks to Searchsnake00103 for beta reading this, and as always, if you can guess the song title, then feel free to do so.**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Feel Invincible**

Two months after meeting Todoroki - and gaining something of a friend - Izuku was still hard at work cleaning Dagobah beach, much to the wonder of those that passed by. Izuku had steadily been putting on more muscle mass, though he was still relatively skinny, and his confidence continued to grow in small amounts, mainly thanks to Josuke and their chats.

'_I guess it helps that I haven't been back to school since then.' _Izuku thought as he moved a small microwave onto the cart attached to his bike. His parents had forbidden him from returning, going so far as to pull him from the school entirely. Izuku had initially refused, but several stern talkings from his parents, as well as Josuke and his mom and grandpa, had convinced the young man that school was probably the worst place for him right now.

Sighing, Izuku got onto his bike and began to peddle towards the dump. On the way there, he thought of what his parents were planning on doing. And what they thought he didn't know. So lost in thought he failed to notice another kid, around his age, walking towards him with his head down, until it was too late.

Izuku's bike collided with the stranger, who had just enough time to cross his arms over his head. Izuku himself was sent flying from the bike, landing on the path, small scraps forming on his arms, hands, and legs.

Groaning in pain, Izuku shook his head carefully and looked up. The bike, miraculously, was relatively unharmed, with only some of the trash being thrown out due to the collision. The other boy had been pushed back a litte, his arms still crossed in front of his face. Now that Izuku was focused, he could see that the boy's arms had spiky protrusions that seemed somewhat similar to armor.

'_Wow…'_ Izuku thought as he stared at the boy's Quirk with awe. Said boy turned around and Izuku was able to get a good look at him. He had long black hair that came down his neck and ears, while stopping just before his eyes, which were red and full of concern. The boy quickly moved over to Izuku and reached down, holding out a hand.

"Hey man, you ok? I'm really sorry about that, I-I should have been paying attention to where I was going." The boy said as Izuku grasped his hand, ignoring the irritation from the small cuts on his palms.

"I-I'm fine. Ju-Just some small scratches. I'd asked if you're ok, but your Quirk seems to have helped you."

The boy pulled Izuku to his feet and nodded, blushing a little and averting his eyes. "Yea...but it's not good for much else."

Izuku looked at the boy, confusion written across his face. "What do you mean? It seems like it's pretty helpful and powerful."

The boy's laugh came across as dry and sardonic. "My Quirk is a mid-level Hardening Quirk. All it really does is make me tougher, and give me a small boost in strength. It's not a flashy Quirk, and it's also not the most powerful thing in the world."

"That doesn't matter!" Izuku said, his passion for Quirks coming out, writing excitement all over his face. "Your Quirk is amazing all on its own! You can be a literal invincible shield, protecting others from harm! I mean...you can keep people safe...that's what a Hero does right."

The black haired boy stared at Izuku, his mouth hanging open for a time before it closed as the kid's face fell down onto his chest, his shoulder's shaking. For a minute, Izuku was worried that he had said something wrong to offend the stranger, before the individual's chuckle reached Izuku's ears.

When the boy brought his head back up, Izuku could see that he was smiling - while also trying to hide some pooling tears - before wrapping Izuku in a tight hug, squeezing the green haired boy.

"HAHAHA! THANK YOU SO MUCH MAN!" The boy continued to hug Midoriya, gripping him tighter and tighter, causing said boy to turn blue and frantically tapping on his huggers body.

Finally noticing the lack of oxygen that his victim was getting, the black haired boy released Izuku, who fell on the ground and began to suck in grateful gasps of air. "You...are welcome...oh god." Izuku wheezed out, standing on shaky legs.

"Hehehe, sorry about that." The black-haired boy said, scratching the back of his head, before extending his hand. "It's just...well not everyone believes my Quirk is flashy enough to be a Hero. I'm Kirishima by the way. Eijiro Kirishima."

"Izuku Midoriya." Izuku said, shaking his hand. "And do-don't let what others say bother you. You have an amazing gift that's got gre-great potential. Yo-you just need to believe and work hard, an-and you'll find out in the best way."

Laughing, Kirishima nodded and helped Midoriya retrieve the stray bits of trash, exchanged numbers with the boy, then excused himself. Izuku smiled as he waved goodbye to Kirishima before peddling on his way.

'_That's two new friends in the past couple of months. Huh, maybe my luck is starting to turn around.'_

* * *

While Izuku was talking with Kirishima, Inko and Hisashi Midoriya were meeting someone for the first time as well. The two sat inside the office of Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi of the Musutafu Police. Detective Tsukauchi had been contacted by an old acquaintance - one Ryohei Higashkita - and asked to meet with the couple. Having some free time, Tsukauchi agreed, thinking this would be something simple, maybe even getting one of them a job at the station.

Oh how he wished it was something as simple as that.

Instead, Tsukauchi sat there and heard tale after tale of the couple's son being abused and bullied within his school, all due to the fact that he was Quirkless. He heard stories about the boy's uniform being ruined, forcing Inko and her son to fix it, how he would come home with cuts and bruises that in no way came from typical roughhousing, how the boy would ask for new school supplies every week or so, lying to his parents that he had lost them, and finally how the situation got so bad that the boy attempted to kill himself. First by leaping off the school roof, then by slitting his wrists.

And the worst part for Tsukauchi, for the entire time Hisashi and Inko talked, he didn't get any hint of a lie from the two. Which meant one of two things. One, was that they were so totally convinced of their own lie that they believed it to be the truth. This was a technique often used by abusers and sociopaths - which Tsukauchi believed that neither of the Midoriya's were. The second, and most probable reason, was that they were telling the truth.

After their story was finished, Tsukauchi sat back and sighed, turning off the tape recorder that he had used in lieu of notes. "I'm sorry to hear all of this, and I would like to assure you that I have every intention of bringing the school to justice."

"There seems to be a 'but' missing from that." Hisashi Midoriya said, his eyes narrowing as he held his crying wife's hand.

"Yes. The problem is, despite your testimony and most likely your son's...it'll be you three taking on an entire school, along with nearly every child there. That's a massive pool from which one can pull money from, whereas you two don't have that availability."

"Even then," Tsukauchi said, cutting off Hisashi's attempt to speak "you would need evidence, and right now the only evidence you have...is me and my Quirk. If everything you said about this school, the teachers, staff, and its students is indeed as you see it, then they'll delete all the evidence - video, audio, etc. - in order to provide you all with no hard evidence. Again, that just leaves me with my Quirk. Which can be heavily disputed in a court."

"Finally, your biggest problem comes from the courts themselves. In Japan, there is no jury of peers, and as such, it is one prosecutor vs. the defense attorney, all in an attempt to convince a single judge that the defendant is guilty or innocent. There is no way we can rely on the emotional aspects - such as your son's suicide attempt - as the courts are relient on logic and evidence. We need hard evidence."

The Midoriya's processed everything the detective said, a growing feeling of despair rising within them. Tsukauchi looked down, upset that he couldn't provide any more aid…

"No."

Only to snap his head up when Inko Midoriya spoke up. The man's eyes were filled with sorrow and anger, but behind all that, there lay something else. A determination shone in them, a resolve that shocked the detective and caused her husband to smile.

"We are not letting something like this stop us from achieving the justice our son deserves. We will see this through to the end, we will make sure those who hurt our son face the justice of the legal system, and we will succeed." The mother stood, her husband following suit, both looking the detective in the eye. "Can we continue to count on your support detective?"

Smiling, the detective leapt to his feet, his hand extended, excitedly shaking Hisashi's and Inko's. "Of course! The two of you...It's been a while since I've seen resolve like yours, and even then it's usually from Heroes. Then again, parents are heroes in their own right. You can expect my full cooperation with this fight. In fact, I have some friends in high places, and maybe they'll lend a hand!"

The Midoriya's smiled, thanked the detective, and left. Sitting down, Tsukauchi plucked his phone from his pocket and pressed the speed dial button. He knew just the Hero to call.

* * *

**Cut! I know this is short, but it's setting up for a much longer chapter that'll happen next. The prologue is still going on, but on the plus side, it's half-way done now. Three more chapters of the prologue. Thanks to everyone who has stuck around for this long, and again, a big thanks to Searchsnake00103 for beta reading this chapter. **

**Before anyone asks any questions about my description of the Japanese legal system, I based it off of the Ace Attorney games, which I read were supposed to be a criticism of the Japanese legal system. I'm not sure if I nailed it all, but that's that. **

**TheSaintsFollower, signing out. **


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